Monday 11 March 2024

Oak Hill parkrun

East Barnet is an area in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, with a population of approximately 16,000 people. The area used to sit within Hertfordshire and at one point belonged to the Abbey of St Albans. The Pymmes Brook Valley runs through East Barnet and it was very well known for the quality of the oaks that grew in the adjacent woodland, in fact, it was oaks from this valley that were used in the construction of St Albans Abbey. After King Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, much of the abbey's land was sold off and some large country estates were created. The Monkenfrith Estate was one of these and in 1660 160 acres of land were enclosed as parkland.



In around 1790 the estate was renamed Oak Hill and in 1810 was bought by Sir Simon Haughton Clarke who was a fellow at the Royal Horticultural Society and apparently the seventh richest man in England at the time. He built a vinery and the estate became quite famous for the grapes and pineapples that it produced. The railway arrived in 1850, but unlike some other areas on the fringes of London, there was no rush to build housing, and the area remained rural right up until the 1920's. The last private owner of the Oak Hill Estate passed away in 1928 and the parkland was bought by East Barnet Council in 1930.

In 1932 the mansion and part of the grounds became home to Oak Hill College, which is an Evangelical Theological College. The following year the rest of the grounds opened as a public park called Oak Hill Park. Adjacent, and contiguous with the park, is a 10 hectare area of ancient woodland, Oak Hill Wood, which is managed by the London Wildlife Trust. It has been a local Nature Reserve since 1997 and many of its trees are descendants of those used in the building of St Albans Abbey.



The park itself is beautifully landscaped. It features a bowls green, football pitches, cricket pitch, tennis courts, outdoor gym, multi-sports court, children's play area, gardens and a cafe. However, for me, the stand-out natural feature of the park is the meandering waterway called Pymmes Brook. This is enhanced by the Weeping Willow trees that grow along its banks and make it very picturesque.

On 27 August 2011 the park became home to Oak Hill parkrun. This is a free, weekly, timed 5km event which takes place on Saturday mornings at 9am. It is open to all abilities including wheelchair users and those who wish to walk. I first visited this event on 6 July 2013 and took part in event 96. This write-up is from my second visit which was on 9 March 2024 at event number 589.



Being in London it is pretty well connected transport-wise. The 184 and 382 buses both stop on the roads alongside the park. If travelling by National Rail, Oakleigh Park is the best station to head for, and is just 1 kilometre away from the park. It is served by Great Northern Railway trains from King's Cross and Moorgate through north London and onwards towards Welwyn Garden City. If using the London Underground, taking the Piccadilly line to Southgate station or the northern line to Totteridge and Whetstone would be the options. Please note they are both around 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) from the park. Cyclists can secure their bikes to the cycle racks next to the cafe or to one of the fences near the parkrun meeting area.

There is a free-of-charge onsite car park located at the south-east corner of the park. It can hold about 55 vehicles and this includes the spaces for blue badge holders. It is very likely that the car park will be full shortly before the parkrun starts, so if looking for an alternative place to park, most of the nearby side streets are restriction-free and can be used. I'd just note that many of the houses have driveways, so this does reduce the amount of space available for on-street parking. The only specific request on the parkrun page is that attendees should not park on Parkside Gardens, East Walk or West Walk. There is an additional car park on Osidge Lane.



Once in the park, the parkrun meeting point can be found towards the southern end, in the small area in-between the tennis courts, bowls green, outdoor gym and the children's playground. It's also quite close to the car park. Should you feel the call of nature, there are on-site toilets located on the side of the cafe building which is just a minute or two away from the meeting point. The toilets should be open at around 8am, which is also the time the cafe opens. The first timer and main briefings are held in this area, and once completed the participants are led along the path to the start line.

The parkrun takes place over a two-and-three-quarter lap course, with the surface underfoot being 100% tarmac except for the finish line which is on grass. Those pushing buggies and wheelchair users should be fine at this event, but please note the next section... Given the name of this park, it will be of no surprise that this is not a flat course. If taking part on the standard course it's not quite as hilly as it could be where the elevation change over the 5k coming out at 31 metres on my GPS readings. If you happen to visit on a day where the B course is being used, then you will find things considerably hillier with the GPS data that I have showing the elevation change being around twice as much. My understanding is that the B course would usually be called into action if the path alongside Pymmes Brook becomes flooded/waterlogged.



The course description below is for the standard course (please note there is a totally different starting point for the B course, which is 3-and-bit-laps - also a new B course was introduced in early 2024). The parkrun starts on the tarmac path (part of the Pymmes Brook Trail) which runs alongside Pymmes Brook and is about 400 metres away from the meeting and briefing area, but as mentioned above, everyone walks down to the start together so if you are a first-timer here, just follow the crowd. The initial section involves heading along this path to the north-west. There is a quick left-then-right turn as the route crosses the brook after about 200 metres. The course then follows the path, which rises ever-so-slightly in elevation, all the way to the north west tip of the park where there is a marshal and a sharp left hand turn.

Now heading to the south alongside Church Hill Road, the route undulates gently, first with a gentle dip which is followed by another very gentle incline. Upon reaching the next marshal point, there is another chicane-style junction to negotiate, and after the quick left-then-right the course emerges onto a narrower path with quite a pronounced camber. This section of the park overlooks the football fields where the Pymmes Brook, Weeping Willows and the start area can be seen. A bit further in the distance is Oak Hill Wood, and if you are lucky you may even catch a glimpse of the former estate's white mansion nestled on the hillside. This path is where you will find the steepest of the inclines, but even that is not overly steep or long, the maximum incline reported on my GPS data was 3.7%.



This path also features the highest point of the course, and from there it is, of course, all downhill. The route passes the playground, meeting point, and the finish line and crosses another bridge where the course rejoins the Pymmes Brook Trail and follows the course of the river until reaching the start point. The full lap is 1.8 kilometres in length, and from this point it is just a case of following the same paths for the second full lap and for three-quarters of the third lap, at which point you simply enter the finish funnel which is placed just off the tarmac path on the grass.

It is worth noting that the almost-three-lap course means that there is plenty of interaction between participants as those towards the front reach and overtake those towards the back. While this is great, it does mean that you need to stay aware of what is happening around you, especially on the narrower sections of path.



Barcode scanning, as you'd expect, takes place within this grass area at the finish line. Once all of the participants have completed the 5 kilometre course, the post-parkrun refreshment gathering takes place over in Oak Hill Park Cafe. The cafe has its own soft-play area for very young kids, but there is a fee to use it. I went to the cafe on my first visit, but didn't go on my second visit as we had other plans, so I can't comment on the quality. However, it serves everything you would expect including full breakfasts. They also specialise in Polish dishes, so that may be worth investigating if visiting. There is also a 'pay and play' golf course in the park which has a kiosk that sells refreshments from about 10am.

As I have noted above, I have GPS data of the standard course which I recorded with my Garmin. There is also an accompanying Relive course fly-by video which can be viewed on YouTube. I also managed to get hold of a GPS file of the new 2024 B course, so I have uploaded that onto my Strava account and also created a fly-by video for that one too. For the record, the GPS data for the old B course is also available to view. Feel free to check them out if you are looking for some extra course information.



The results were published a short while later and there were 341 finishers at event 589. As a general guide, as of early 2024 the event tends to attract around 300 participants each week. It certainly has grown since my first visit, on that day in July 2013 a new attendance record was set when they had 75 participants.

We had a great morning in this lovely picturesque park in East Barnet. The volunteers and locals had been extremely welcoming and a huge thanks goes to everyone involved.



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Sunday 3 March 2024

Richmond parkrun

Richmond is a town in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames. The borough is notable as the only one in London to encompass both sides of the River Thames and is home to just under 200,000 people with around 21,000 living within the town of Richmond itself. It is often regarded as London's greenest borough with approximately 50% of the land made up of natural green spaces. The town was previously known as Shene and the monarch had a residence called Shene Palace. The original building was purposefully destroyed by a distraught Richard II after his wife Anne of Bohemia died. The rebuilt palace was destroyed by a fire in 1497. The palace was occupied by a large number of the royal family at the time of the blaze, and most, including the 6-year-old future King Henry VIII only just made it out alive.

richmond park

King Henry VII had a replacement built and decided to name it, and by extension the local area, after his former title the 'Earl of Richmond', whose seat was at Richmond Castle, in Yorkshire. Thus creating the Royal Manor of Richmond. A number of monarchs resided in the palace over the years and they had a deer park just next door called Newe Parke of Shene, which was formally declared a Royal hunting ground by King James I. When Charles I ascended to the throne, he decided to create a much grander enclosed deer park. After buying a lot of land and in the process upsetting a lot of the locals, it was finally completed in 1637. It was initially called the King's New Park. To avoid confusion, the original Newe Park (of Shene) was renamed Old Deer Park and the King's New Park eventually became Richmond Park. The name it retains to this day.

Covering an area of approximately 2,500 acres, Richmond Park is the largest of London's eight Royal Parks. Full access for the public was secured by an Act of Parliament in 1872. The park features ancient woods with over 1,200 veteran oak trees (some of which would have been standing during Charles I's reign), open grass and scrub land, as well as a number of streams and around 30 ponds, the newest of which is the Attenborough Pond - named after Sir David Attenborough who is a local resident. There are many gardens including the famous Isabella Plantation. It is a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Special Area of Conservation. It appears as a Grade I listing on Historic England's 'Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England'. It is said to be the quietest and, at night, the darkest place in London.

meeting point and briefing

It also provides habitats for a large variety of wildlife. The descendants of Charles I's herds of red and fallow deer are the most well-known of the park's natural residents, they once numbered 2,000 but are now managed to around 600. There are at least 60 species of breeding birds including woodpeckers and Ring-necked Parakeets, there are also squirrels, rabbits, frogs, toads and snakes. There are 9 species of bat and 160 species of spider, plus 400 species of fungi. One of the park's most fascinating creatures is the Stag Beetle, which thrives here due to the presence of decaying ancient timber, thus providing the larvae with perfect conditions to develop into their glorious adult form.

There are many structures and buildings within the park. The boundary wall is 8 miles (13 kilometres) long and most sections have been Grade II Listed by Historic England. There are a further 10 buildings within the park that are Grade II Listed, including some of the gates and Pembroke Lodge, which is a former residential building that now hosts functions and has a restaurant and a cafe. Another is Thatched House Lodge which was General Dwight D. Eisenhower's home during the second world war, and is the residence of Princess Alexandra, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. There is also a Grade I Listed building within the park; White Lodge. Built in 1730, it was the birthplace of Edward VIII and the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) lived there in the 1920s. It is now home to the Royal Ballet School.

start area

I've visited the park a few times and also used cut through when cycling home from volunteering at Bushy junior parkrun, but the last couple of visits were to take part in the park's free, weekly, timed 5 kilometre event called Richmond parkrun. When it had its inaugural event on 20 October 2007, the name 'parkrun' had not been introduced, so it was first called Richmond Park Time Trial. It is the 5th oldest parkrun. An interesting fact is that Richmond was the first parkrun venue to introduce the concept of a tail runner (now tail walker).

I first took part in the event in November 2013 and then revisited in March 2024. The parkrun is open to all abilities including those who wish to walk or use a wheelchair to complete the course. However, with the park being so vast, it is important to know exactly where to head to when visiting, and that place is just inside Richmond Gate, which is on the northwest side of the park. For anyone unfamiliar with the park it is best to enter via Richmond Gate, this is at the top of Richmond Hill and just next to the Royal Star and Garter Home, which provides accommodation and nursing facilities for injured service personnel.

opening stretch

There are seven free-of-charge car parks within the park's boundary, and if driving to the venue the obvious choice is to use the Pembroke Lodge car park (may also be labelled on some maps as Petersham Park car park). To access it by vehicle you would need to use Richmond Gate, Ham Gate or the Kingston Gate. The car park itself is about a 1km walk to the parkrun meeting point next to Richmond Gate. The next closest car park is the Sheen Gate car park, and that one is two kilometres away from the meeting point. This one is only accessible via Sheen Gate. The other car parks can be as far as 5 kilometres away from the Richmond parkrun start area, so are not really options for the average parkrun attendee. It is worth noting that the Kingston Gate car park is actually closer to the start of Kingston parkrun (write-up) than it is to Richmond parkrun, and the Robin Hood Gate car park is closer to Wimbledon Common parkrun (write-up). The park really is that big!

If arriving by public transport there are of course many buses that go to the centre of Richmond, but the 371 seems to be the best option for parkrunners because it stops just outside Richmond Gate. If travelling by train, the station to head for is Richmond Station which is located within the centre of the town. It is served by South Western Railway mainline trains that run between central London and Reading, and is the terminus of the London Overground's Mildmay Line and of the London Underground's District Line. The onward walk is about 2 kilometres (mostly uphill) but it looks like the aforementioned 371 bus runs between the two should you wish to avoid the walk.

sawyers hill

The park and local area is a very popular place for cycling, and if using a bicycle to travel to the venue, it is important to note that there are plenty of bicycle racks in the car parks, but none at the start area. I saw that some people had chained their bikes to a fence at the back of the adjacent housing. Please refrain from securing bikes to the trees as this can cause damage and the park rangers will most likely be very upset with you. There are a good number of toilet facilities spread around the park. For the purposes of visiting parkrun, the most convenient option can be found next to Richmond Gate. The toilets have a 20p charge in place and the only way to pay is via the contactless payment system (by card or mobile phone wallet app). They no longer accept cash. There are some free-of-charge toilets at the Pembroke Lodge car park, but these are not Royal Parks toilets and did not seem to be open pre-parkrun.

The briefings take place at 'The Stump' before assembling at the start line a little further along the path, near Bishop's Gate and Bishop's Pond. Richmond parkrun takes place over a single, undulating, anti-clockwise lap around the northernmost section of the park. The surfaces underfoot are a mixture of tarmac, and a hard-packed gravelly path (possibly a hoggin path) and road shoes are usually the best shoe choice, however trail shoes may be preferred by some in unfavourable conditions. Strangely the usual parkrun paragraph on the course page regarding participating with a buggy seems to be missing from Richmond parkrun's course page. However, fear not, the course is perfectly fine for buggies. Please be aware that the deer that reside in the park are wild animals and need to be treated with caution and respect. There are some general deer safety guidelines plus some detailed advice for dog owners on the Royal Parks' website.

sawyers hill / sheen cross / sheen gate

The start is on the hoggin path which forms part of the Tamsin Trail footpath. The start area is taped-off creating a start funnel which keeps everybody on the path, preventing over-spill onto the adjacent grass areas. In practice this means the start is only the width of the footpath so expect some initial congestion. The course heads gently uphill to the west towards Richmond Gate, and once reaching the road, turns onto the tarmac footpath which runs alongside the internal road named Sawyers Hill. The tarmac path is not particularly wide, but as the field spreads out congestion starts to become less of a problem. The uphill theme continues throughout the first half-a-kilometre with the highest point on the course being reached just before the 500 metre point, where it levels out for a bit. On a clear day you can see into Central London from here.

The whole of the second kilometre is downhill, so this is almost certainly going to be the fastest kilometre split for the majority of participants. Please note that there is a point which is not marshalled where the course crosses the internal access road for Holly Lodge. Still on the tarmac path, the lowest point of the course is reached at the southeast corner of the course where it reaches Sheen Cross, 2.3 kilometres into the route. At this point the tarmac path ends and the route turns onto the closed road which heads uphill towards Sheen Gate (in 2013 the course used the grass here). After approximately 400 metres, the course re-joins the Tamsin Trail footpath where it passes the Sheen Gate car park and the surface changes back to the hoggin path. 

tamsin trail

The remaining two-and-a-bit kilometres feature a roller-coaster style series of undulations which gradually work their way upwards. The Tamsin Trail section first passes through Sheen Wood, and as the path emerges from the woodland a few hundred metres later, the view over the parkland to the south reveals itself. This part of the course is a lot of fun as it meanders in and out of the wooded areas. Eventually the course reaches the original start area and passes Bishops Pond for a second time. All that's left is to follow the path for a second helping of the opening incline and the finish is found upon reaching the area adjacent to Richmond Gate.

Barcode scanning takes place just after the finish and the advertised post-parkrun refreshments are over at Pembroke Lodge, which is very convenient if that's where you parked the car.

tamsin trail

I recorded the course with my Garmin and the GPS trace of the course can be viewed on my Strava account. The total elevation gain was recorded as 50 metres. I used that data to create a Relive course fly-by video that can be viewed on YouTube. For the record, apart from using the road rather than the grass at the Sheen Gate end, the course used in 2024 was absolutely identical to the course that was in use when I visited in 2013. The course does not require very many marshals, so the only ones you are likely to encounter are at the Sheen Gate end of the loop who ensure that everyone makes the required turns onto the road and then onto the Tamsin Trail path.

The results were processed and published a bit later that day and 352 people took part in event 799 on 2 March 2024. This was a little lower than the current average, and I'm almost 100% certain that this was down to the heavy rain. The attendance figures do dance around quite a bit here, but on a regular parkrunday, it would be fair to expect somewhere around 400 to 500 participants.

finish area

Before we left, we managed to spot some of the park's majestic deer and also went up to King Henry's Mound which is a very famous viewpoint (and possibly also a prehistoric Bronze Age burial chamber). To the west is the panoramic view across the Thames valley and to the east is the protected view of St. Paul's Cathedral, both of which can be viewed through the onsite public telescope. The view is one of 13 London vistas protected under the London View Management Framework (LVMF). Sadly, due to the amount of cloud cover, we couldn't quite see the cathedral on this particular day, but we plan to revisit the park when the weather is better.

We had originally intended to spend all day wandering around the park and the local area, however despite having a full change of clothes, the continuous heavy rain had really got to us and we decided to make our way back home. That does mean we didn't get to admire Richmond's other protected view, which can be seen from Richmond Hill. This view is protected under the Richmond, Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act 1902, making it the only view in the UK to be protected by an act of parliament.

king henry's mound


Finally, this is a very special park and we are very fortunate to have a parkrun here. A huge thank you goes to all the parkrun volunteers that stood out in the rain to make the parkrun possible.



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Sunday 25 February 2024

Pegwell Bay parkrun

The Isle of Thanet is the area in the far north east corner of Kent, home to the very well-known seaside resorts Margate and Ramsgate. Although now part of the mainland, it was historically cut off from the rest of Kent by a strait called the Wantsum Channel, which is thought to have formed somewhere between 5000BC and 2000BC. The channel started to silt up during the 12th and 13th centuries, by the 16th century the channel had completely dried up and the Isle became fully connected to the rest of Kent. Part of the area at the southern end of the former channel is now known as Pegwell Bay.

Pegwell Bay is a shallow, sandy inlet that sits at the southern end of Thanet District on the east coast of Kent. The villages of Pegwell and Ebbsfleet are adjacent but the bay itself is within the Civil Parish of Cliffsend (Cliffs End). The bay contains seashore habitats such as mudflats and salt marsh which are essential to migrating waders and wildfowl. Some of the land that overlooks the bay was used during the 20th century as a landfill site. In the 1980's the landfill was capped and 29 acres was landscaped into a park, which is now called Pegwell Bay Country Park.



The Wantsum Channel existed at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain and the immediate vicinity is home to a couple of places with notable connections to this period. The Roman's full scale invasion of 43AD is believed to have landed at Rutupiae (now called Richborough), on the mainland side of the Wantsum Channel. Rutupiae became a supply base for the Roman army before evolving into quite a large civilian town. A large triumphal arch (it was the largest in the entire Roman Empire) was constructed here and this effectively marked the entry point into Roman Britain. It also marked the starting point of Watling Street, the main road towards Londinium.

Almost a hundred years earlier Julius Caesar had landed his exploratory fleet on two occasions, first in 55BC and again in 54BC. The exact location of his landings had been a mystery until in 2017 archaeologists found evidence of a large Roman fort near the hamlet of Ebbsfleet in Thanet. This has led many to believe that the area around Ebbsfleet / Pegwell Bay is the location of Caesar's 54BC landing. This may cause some upset over in Deal as they have a stone plaque on the beach claiming the landing point.



The same area is also thought to be the landing point for Hengist and Horsa, the Germanic brothers who led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes when they arrived in Britain in the years following the Romans' withdrawal. Hengist went on to become the first Jutish King of Kent in 455. To commemorate the 1500th anniversary of their arrival, a Scandinavian longship called 'Hugin' was built and sailed across the sea where it was presented to the people of Thanet by the King of Denmark. The ship now stands on the clifftop overlooking the bay.

In 597 a monk called Augustine arrived via the same route after the Pope sent him to Britain in order to lead the 'Gregorian mission' to convert Britain's Anglo Saxons to Christianity starting with the monarch of Kent. He was ultimately successful and Ã†thelberht became the first Christian King of Kent. Augustine went on to become the very first Archbishop of Canterbury and is known as one of the founders of the Church of England. There is a Celtic Cross near the village of Cliffsend which marks the spot where Augustine first met King Ã†thelberht. After his death he was canonised and is known as Saint Augustine of Canterbury.



In Victorian times it was quite fashionable for the well-to-do to visit coastal resorts in order to escape the dirty city and take in the sea air. An effort was made to turn Pegwell Bay into a resort similar to its neighbour Ramsgate. A pier was constructed, but this venture failed and the pier dismantled just a few years later. An area of the bay contains a large concrete structure which used to be Ramsgate International Hoverport. Four hovercraft provided services between Pegwell Bay and Calais from the port which operated between 1969 and 1987. Although the site remains, it is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

On 11 May 2013 Pegwell Bay Country Park became home to a free, weekly, timed event called Pegwell Bay parkrun. I first took part in the event on 22 February 2014 which was event number 39, I returned 10 years later to take part in event number 492 which was held on 24 February 2024. On both occasions I travelled by car and parked in the on-site car park. As of 2024 the cost to park here at the weekend is a flat charge of £3 and this covers the entire day. Payment can be made by cash or card at the payment machine, but I could not get it to process my payment. Fortunately payment can also be made by using Park Buddy, PayByPhone or Ringo apps (the apps may cost slightly more as they will include a booking fee - Ringo cost £3.20). Holders of a Kent Country Parks season ticket do not have to pay to park. The parkrun page mentions the car park at the Viking Ship Cafe (1.2km along the coast) as an alternative, but this was closed when we visited in February 2024 (probably a seasonal thing).



Travel by public transport is possible and the closest train station is Thanet Parkway (in Cliffsend), which opened in July 2023. Off-peak services are fairly limited with the only Saturday trains running from London being High Speed services from St. Pancras. There is a better selection of trains which run to Ramsgate and Sandwich but those stations are further away. The 45 bus seems to run from both of these stations through Cliffsend where you can alight. The parkrun course page also mentions that the Stagecoach East Kent 87 and 88 buses stop close to the venue. Finally, if cycling, the park is well connected via the local cycle paths and there are bicycle racks next to the car park. The venue's toilets and the parkrun meeting point can also be found here.

When I first visited in 2014 the start was located on the sea-facing side of the park and the full 5 kilometre course ran for two-and-a-bit laps. However, in 2017 work began on the installation of the 1,000 megawatt HVDC sub-marine Nemo Link cable which connects the nearby Richborough Energy Park to Belgium and allows for high voltage electricity to flow between the two countries' electrical grids. The decision was made to run the cable right through Pegwell Bay Country Park. It was supposed to be laid underground, but there was some worry that doing so could disturb the materials in the landfill which could then contaminate the surface. With that in mind the cable was laid on the surface and covered with a 'chalk bund' which resulted in the creation of a berm (an artificial ridge) which goes right through the parkrun's original start area. 

In order for the parkrun to continue the course had to be modified, but owing to the layout of the park and limitations of the paths there was only one option - to move the start, but keep the finish in the same place. This would mean a slightly shorter course, which I understand is parkrun HQ approved. The revised course became active on 27 May 2017.



The parkrun now takes place over a two lap anti-clockwise triangular-shaped course and the surface underfoot is a mixture of tarmac and gravel (the tarmac has been added since my first visit). The route is almost completely flat and it is perfectly fine for those taking part with a buggy. I would imagine that wheelchair users would most likely be fine on the course, but the gravel may make things a little more difficult. As for footwear, I'd say regular road shoes would be fine most of the time, but those of us who like to be cautious may prefer to stick on trail shoes in the winter or after wet weather. The briefings, the toilets, the start and the finish are all condensed into the same grassy area adjacent to the car park. The actual start line is located at the northern section of the grass area.

The start area is wide enough to accommodate a fairly wide start line, but this narrows down into the regular-width tarmac path very soon after. Almost immediately after this, the course has to cross the park's vehicle entrance. This is of course quite rare at a parkrun, but rest assured, this spot is very heavily marshalled and if any vehicles are present, they will be stopped to allow the participants to cross. The course continues to head along the tarmac path until it reaches the south-west corner of the park. Please note that the tarmac path forms part of the Sustrans route 15 cycle path, so watch out for cyclists.



At the corner the course turns to the left and the surface underfoot changes to the gravelly, stony, off-road style path. Now heading in an easterly direction, the surroundings start to open up a little. To the right is the Stonelees Nature Reserve, the salt marsh and the mouth of the River Stour. To the left is the inner park and there are fields that are home to cattle including highland cows (I didn't manage to see any). When the path reaches its next change of direction, the stunning view of Pegwell Bay itself with the backdrop of the white cliffs at Cliffsend comes into view. If there has been rain, it may be a little splashy at points along here as quite large puddles can form across the path. The course continues along the sea-front with the vast mudflats stretching across the entire bay.

The final 200 metres of this sea-front section narrows down into a single file path, so participants towards the back of the field may find that those at the front are lapping them during this section. It's very difficult to pass along here, so it's a case of trying to work together to ensure everyone has a nice experience. If you look to the left of this path you can see the berm running alongside it. I'm guessing it must be made out of, or topped with chalk as it stands out due to being white. Also if you look at the satellite view on Google maps you can see the white scar making its way across the whole park. At the end of this path, there is another marshal and a left hand turn back onto the open grass start area.



The second lap is identical to the first, and once both laps have been completed the finish funnel can be found on the grass where the briefing took place. Barcode scanning takes place in the area just outside the toilets. A really nice touch at this venue was a table set up with facilities to make tea, coffee and hot chocolate, with boiling water provided in urns by one of the volunteers. If you are lucky they may even have some biscuits. I found this set up really encouraged a larger group of participants to linger post-parkrun, which no doubt works wonders for the community side of this event. Anybody that is on the look-out for a more substantial breakfast can simply walk around to the park's on-site refreshments facility, the Salty Seal Cafe. There's also an on-site playground which should keep any children entertained. 

After having a quick drink at the refreshments table we headed off to see the Scandinavian longboat 'Hugin' - sadly because it was winter it was partially covered in order to protect it from the cold weather. We then went and found St. Augustine's cross in Cliffsend. The highlight of our post-parkrun activities was our visit to see Richborough Roman Fort which I can thoroughly recommend.



The results for event 492 were published a short while later and there were 184 finishers which was representative of the current (2024) expected attendance figures. On both of my visits, I recorded the course with my Garmin and you can see the data on my Strava account. The original course came in at the full 5 kilometres for me when I visited in 2014, and the new revised course (May 2017 onwards) measured 4.82km according to my data (I have seen variations from 4.77 - 4.84 km). There are also Relive course fly-by videos for both of my visits and they can be found on YouTube via the links below.

I am aware that the short course could be quite frustrating for many parkrunners, especially if a personal best is recorded that then proves to be out-of-reach in terms of bettering on a full 5km course. However the event still retains everything else you could want from a parkrun, so the short course is a small price to pay in order to retain the wonderful community they have here at Pegwell Bay parkrun. If you are keen to visit but do not want to record an unbreakable personal best, I would recommend just taking your foot off the gas a little and focus on enjoying the park and the views rather than going for a time. Finally I would like to add a huge thank you to all of the volunteers that welcomed us into their community for the morning.


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Sunday 11 February 2024

Kingston parkrun

Kingston Upon Thames (or simply Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames with a population of around 43,000 people (the wider borough is home to 163,000). It historically sat in the county of Surrey, but became part of Greater London in 1965. The earliest written record of the name is from Saxon times (838) when it was recorded as 'Cyninges Tun'. Over the next few centuries the name evolved where it was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as Chingestune, before becoming Kingeston, and then Kyngeston super Tamisiam (Tamisiam is a 13th century name for the River Thames). By 1589 was known as Kingestowne upon Thames.



The town's name means King's Manor or King's Farmstead, and it was a place of residence for Saxon kings. In fact, so important was the town that it was the location of at least seven Anglo-Saxon coronations including Edward the Elder in 900, Ã†thelstan in 925, who was the first king to rule the whole of England, and Ethelred the Unready in 978. An important artefact in the town is the Coronation Stone which was recovered from the rubble of St Mary's Church, which had collapsed in 1730. It symbolises Kingston's important role in the history of England.

Kingston's prosperity was partly thanks to its market which had been granted by Royal Charter which forbade any other markets for 7 miles around. The fact that it had a bridge spanning the River Thames, assisted with the town's prosperity and also made it a key strategic place, vulnerable to attack during times of war. The first Kingston Bridge would have been wooden; the exact date of construction is unknown, but it is likely to have been around a thousand years ago. Until 1729 it was the first bridged crossing point to be reached west of London Bridge, so it would have been a busy place. The current bridge dates from 1828 and is Grade II listed. In 1838 the railway arrived in the town and provided the catalyst for the expansion of the town we see today.



In 1912 the government introduced a National Factory Scheme in order to increase the production of aircraft in the lead up to the First World War. A 38 acre site at the northern end of Kingston was developed into one of these factories and the Sopwith Aviation Company occupied the premises where they produced the Sopwith Pup and Camel. The company soon became HG Hawker Engineering Company (later Hawker Aircraft Limited) who produced many famous aircraft at the Kingston factory including the Hurricane and the Harrier Jump Jet. The factory was at one point leased by Leyland Motors who built vehicles. The factory, which was demolished in 1993, had its very own sports club right next door called Hawker's Sports Ground, and this remains in use where it is now called the Hawker Centre.

Since March 2010 Kingston Upon Thames has had its very own free, weekly, timed 5 kilometre event called Kingston parkrun, which takes place along the bank of the River Thames, and the Hawker Centre's facilities have been central to the success of the event. Firstly it provides toilet facilities for attendees of the parkrun, secondly it has a cafe which is used for the post-parkrun social gathering. Also, just in front of the centre itself are around 15 cycle racks which can hold about 30 bicycles. The final element was the free-of-charge parking facilities, which I used on both of my visits. However, it was announced in March 2024 that the centre's parking facilities will not be available to parkrunners from 6 April 2024 onwards. The alternative is to use the nearby restriction-free residential side streets. Some of these are closer to the start than the Hawker Centre, but as these spots may be snapped up early, you may have to find a space a little further away.



For those travelling by public transport, the best way to get close to the venue is by bus, and the K5, 65, and 371 all stop fairly close by. If travelling by train, the closest station is Kingston which is about 2 kilometres away, where the connecting walk is a rather pleasant stroll along the riverside path. Once at the Hawker Centre the initial parkrun meeting point and bag drop can be found on the grass on the river side of the sports centre building. The start point and briefing area can be found a couple of hundred metres further along the path on the open grassed area which is called Burnell Avenue Play Space.

The first timers' and the main briefings are held on the open grass area and the parkrun gets underway at 9am. This is a flat out-and-back style course along the Thames Path. The surface underfoot is mostly tarmac or other hard surfaces, but there are also a couple of sections on grass and dirt. Choice of shoes will depend on conditions, during the winter or other periods of wet weather trail shoes may be beneficial to help navigate the non-tarmac sections, but when it is dry standard road shoes are fine. Participants pushing buggies will have no trouble on this course, and I would expect wheelchair users could also get around, but obviously be aware of the presence of the off-road sections. An important thing to note is that dogs are not permitted at this event, although there is an exception for assistance dogs.



The course starts with a 500 metre-long loop around the open grass area. This is quite a clever way to start as it helps to thin the parkrunners out before joining the Thames Path, which is mostly just a standard footpath width and can be busy with non-parkrunner such as cyclists and people having a pleasant morning stroll. Shortly after joining the path, it passes a white stone - this marks the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. Interestingly, only around 500 metres of the course actually sits within Kingston, the remaining 4.5km (90%) is entirely within Ham, in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. The path meanders along nicely as it heads to the north-west.

The next notable features are Teddington Weir and the Teddington Lock footbridge. Upon reaching the footbridge, the course passes underneath and changes slightly. The footpath ends and is replaced with a private road which is slightly wider where it passes Teddington Lock and a couple of houses. Please note that there may be some parked vehicles in this section. The first lock to be built here was the 'pound lock' in 1810. However when the old London Bridge was dismantled it caused problems with the river level and a newer lock was built, this is called the 'launch lock'. Finally a third lock was built, called the 'barge lock'. It was completed in 1905 and at 198 metres in length is the largest lock on the River Thames.



Once past Teddington Lock, the course returns to a more natural setting with trees on both sides. There is at times a fairly steep bank down into the Thames, so stay clear of the edge. A short while later there is a stone structure adjacent to the path. This is the Teddington Obelisk, and it marks the formal boundary of the responsibility of the river. The upstream section is managed by the Environment Agency while the downstream section is governed by the Port of London.

Continuing along the path there is a point where it opens up and crosses a bridge over a small channel. This channel (canal) was constructed in the 1920s in order to create a loading lagoon where sand and ballast excavated from the adjacent area called 'Ham Lands' could be transferred onto barges. The excavations ceased many years ago and the lake is now home to the Thames Young Mariners centre where they offer many kinds of water-based activities.



Once over this crossing the course continues following the Thames Path until a marshal directs the participants onto Ham Lands for a short off-road section. It creates a loop and the parkrunners soon return to the Thames Path just next to the lagoon bridge. However Ham Lands contains natural flood-meadows, which naturally hold onto water when the levels rise. If that happens the ground can become waterlogged or boggy, so a slight adjustment to the course can be made where the route stays on the Thames Path and a standard turn-around point is set up a bit further along. Once the far end of the course has been negotiated, the route simply follows the same path all the way back along the river.

Upon passing the borough boundary stone and re-entering Kingston Upon Thames, the course passes the original start area, and continues along the Thames Path for about another 200 metres until it reaches the small grass area outside the Hawker Centre, and this is where the finish can be found. Barcode scanning takes place on this small patch of grass and once all the participants and the tail walker have crossed the line, the kit is packed away (I was called into action to assist dismantling the finish funnel, which I was very happy to do) and the team move into the Hawker Centre's cafe for some refreshments. The cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating, and there is also a small children's play area.



The results were published a bit later that day and there were 336 finishers at event number 648. This number was quite representative of a normal week, where around 300 participants would usually be expected. As far as GPS data goes, the course used during my 2024 visit was the alternative course, and this was because Ham Lands was a little too boggy to send over 300 people through. So the course data from this visit is the alternative course. I have obtained some GPS data of the standard course and that can also be found on my Strava account. I also have my GPS data from my 2013 visit when the course used to start near the Hawker Centre, this can be viewed for historical purposes. All three versions of the course have their own accompanying Relive course fly-by videos, which can be viewed via the links at the bottom of the page. 

After parkrun we decided to go for a walk along the river towards Kingston town centre (we used to visit regularly between 2007 and 2010 when we lived in Putney) where we identified the crossing point for the old wooden bridge, had a wander around Kingston's historic market place complete with its central building The Market House. We saw the coronation stone and the Guildhall. We had a walk around the All Saint's Churchyard, had some lunch, and saw the 'Out of Order' telephone boxes sculpture which has been in place since 1989. There is also a museum, but we ran out of time to visit.



The parkrun itself was of course the highlight of the morning and we had a great time visiting. A huge thank you goes to all the volunteers for putting the event on and for making us feel so welcome.



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Sunday 4 February 2024

Mile End parkun

Mile End is a district in the London borough of Tower Hamlets with a population of just under 30,000 people. Its name was recorded as 'La Mile Ende' in 1288 and it refers to a hamlet or settlement which is located a mile away. A mile away from what? Well, it seems that it refers to it being a mile away from Aldgate in the City of London, which sat at the eastern boundary of London while it was still a walled town. So it was a mile away from the boundary of London. It was largely open fields with no significant buildings before the 14th century.

The area is known to have been the place where around 100,000 rebels camped during the Peasant's Revolt in 1381, and it is where King Richard II met with them to discuss their demands, which he initially agreed to. He later rescinded the agreement and at least 1,500 of the rebels were subsequently killed. In 1841 The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery opened in the east of Mile End. It is now called Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and is one of London's Magnificent Seven cemeteries. In 1866 Dr Barnardo moved to London and he opened Mile End's Copperfield Road Ragged School in 1877, which gave the poorest children a basic education.



The first housing started to be developed from the 16th century, but it was at the beginning of the 19th century that the two-story terraced houses, built to house the working and lower class began to be constructed. It was also a popular residential area for immigrants to settle. The Regent's Canal was constructed through Mile End in the early 19th century and the adjacent areas of land became a popular location for factories. The area became part of the London Underground network in 1902 when Mile End Station opened.

At this point in time the area had become dense with terraced housing. The East End of London was hit very hard during the Second World War, and Mile End was the first place in London to be hit by a V1 flying bomb, more commonly known as a 'Doodlebug'. This one bomb caused the deaths of 8 people, injured 30, and made 200 people homeless. The location it hit is now marked with a blue plaque. Mile End's canal-side factories, and the canal itself, were specifically targeted by the Germans as they were involved in the production and distribution of items to assist in the war effort. By the end of the war the large area of industrial land alongside the Regent's Canal and the adjacent housing had been left in ruins.



Immediately following the war, a plan was put in place to transform the bomb-damaged land into a park. In 1952 the first section of park was opened as part of the King George V Memorial Fields scheme. The original Portland stone entrance containing the Heraldic Panels which portray a lion on the left and a unicorn on the right still exists. It wasn't until the 1990's that the park was landscaped into the place it is today. Amongst the devastation, some houses had survived. Sadly some families lost their homes through compulsory purchase orders in order to make way for the park's creation. In 1999 it was finally finished and opened to the public as Mile End Park. The newly created space features meandering pathways and different zones, each with its own theme. Throughout the 32 hectare linear park you will find an ecology park and pavilion, art park and pavilion, a terrace garden, children's play area, climbing wall, a sports stadium and leisure centre.

On 4 February 2012, the park became home to its very own free, weekly, timed 5k event called Mile End parkrun. It is open to all abilities including wheelchair users and those who wish to walk. I first visited the park to take part in the parkrun in September 2013, revisited in April 2022 and again in February 2024.



On all three occasions I travelled by car. There is a car park at the southern end of the park, just off Rhodeswell Road which holds around 40 vehicles, plus there is the main leisure centre car park off Burdett Road. The current cost is £1.50 for two hours. There are also some side streets that allow parking at the weekends, notably the roads just to the south-west of the park including parts of Copperfield Road and others on the opposite side of the canal, just remember to check the signage closely. If using Google Maps for directions please note that using Rhodeswell Road as a destination may not get you to exactly the right spot as the road has been split in two since the end of the Second World War.

Being in London, the area is well connected in terms of public transport. If travelling by bus, the 309 stops on Rhodeswell Road, which is the closest bus stop to the parkrun meeting point. The 277 and the D6 both stop outside the leisure centre. The 339 stops just on the other side of the canal. There are also some bus stops on Mile End Road which are served by the 25, 205, 425 and probably some others that I have missed. Mile End Road is also the location of Mile End Underground Station which is served by the Hammersmith & City, District, and Central lines. The closest National Rail station is Limehouse which is served by c2c trains between London Fenchurch Street and southern Essex including Southend. This same station is also served by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).



The parkrun meeting point, start and finish are all located at the southern end of the park just off Rhodeswell Road, right next to Mile End stadium. Cyclists will find some bicycle racks outside the main entrance to the stadium, but if they fill up there is a section of the boundary fence that was used as an alternative. Upon arriving at the meeting point, Barnardo's old Ragged School building, which is now a museum is clearly visible. The words 'Ragged School Museum' are in large letters along the top of the building. The stadium has toilets and showering facilities, although do bear in mind that the parkrun course page advises that they cannot guarantee access. For the record, the toilets have been available pre-parkrun every time I have visited.

Interestingly the course has been different on all three of my visits. It has always taken place over two laps, and in 2013 it was an anti-clockwise route including a section alongside the canal. In 2022 it was the same course, but negotiated in a clockwise direction. However at the end of 2023 the course was changed to remove the canal section from the course, which makes sense because the towpath is pretty busy and the risk of an incident was probably pretty high, especially as the number of attendees continues to grow. The current course as of my 2024 visit is now effectively a double out-and-back along the park's meandering and gently undulating paths.



Underfoot is entirely hard paths, so standard road shoes are always the correct choice. It is perfectly fine for participants who wish to take part with a buggy and also for wheelchair users. As for those undulations, my GPS data on Strava reports that it adds up to 35 metres of elevation gain over the full 5k course. The first timers' briefing takes place shortly before 9am and the main briefing is held once everyone is lined up at the start. In terms of numbers of participants, the event is currently attracting around 400 people each week. It was slightly elevated during my 2024 visit as the new year's resolutionists were still out in force, plus it was the event's 12th birthday.

From the start, the parkrunners, parkwalkers and everybody in-between follow the main path which heads north. A really useful feature of this park is that the main path is divided into two separate paths by a central section of planting. Technically one is supposed to be for pedestrians and the other for cyclists, however for the purpose of parkrun, the left hand side is the 'out' path, while the right hand side is the 'back' path. It gently meanders as it progresses through the park, and every now and then there are a couple of rows of bricks set in the ground which I believe are probably there as a speed calming measure for cyclists.



There are marshals posted at key points along the course - notably at places where other paths intersect with the parkrun course. There are also some sections with cones to help guide the way. The park also has great views towards Canary Wharf and there are even a couple of spots where The Shard can be seen. There are a few notable features to the left and right of the path such as a small woodland walk, open children's play area, and a dog training area (it has the types of obstacles you would see at a dog show). Being a linear park, it's a fairly slim piece of parkland which covers the area running north-south on the eastern side of the Regent's Canal.

Given that the park used to be home to hundreds of terraced houses and intersected by many roads, it is no surprise that there is still an element of fragmentation here, and the full length of the park is split into a number of sections. At one point the main thoroughfare Mile End Road cuts right across the park. In order to create a seamless connection across the road an innovative idea was put forward by a local resident and architect. The result was the creation of the 'Green Bridge'. The parkrun course course goes over this bridge, and it is totally possible that you could take part and not even realise you have just crossed the busy road beneath.



The main road also marks the boundary between Mile End and the neighbouring ward of West Bow. The path continues to meander with long sweeping curves as it works its way through the next section of the park. This contains the Arts Park and Pavilion, and if you take a quick glance over the hedge there is a beautifully laid out garden area with a bridge and a lovely lake. Just after this, the course reaches its turnaround point. Please note that there are posts in the ground which can be a bit tricky to negotiate, especially if you are within a large pack of parkrunners or being lapped. The return section takes place on the adjacent path, but it follows the exact same route all the way back to the start area. Once back at the start area, there's another turnaround point and the out-and-back is completed a second time.

At the end of the second out-and-back, continuing on at the end of the path leads straight into the finish, and the funnel snakes around on the grass until reaching the point where position tokens are given out. Barcode scanning takes place immediately. Once all of the participants, marshals and tail walkers have returned to the meeting point and all the kit is packed away, the team move on to their post-event social venue. This is listed on the course page as being in the Ragged School Cafe (the entry point is on the canal side of the building), but after our 2024 visit, the team headed to another venue whose name I can't quite remember.



After the event, it is worth exploring the park further as the parkrun doesn't cover the entire park. Of course you could take a walk along the canal or explore the nearby cemetery. There is also a go-kart track next to the park, but if you fancy visiting you may need to book in advance. On this occasion we took a walk over the Stepney City Farm, which I thought was very nice. Entry is free and they have an on-site cafe. The parkrun results were published a short time later and there were 522 finishers at event number 552. I'm a big fan of this venue and I love the park's back story, which is quite similar to Burgess Park's, in south east London (you can read that write-up here: Burgess parkrun). A final thanks goes to all the locals and volunteers who made us feel so welcome.


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